Broad focus planned for revamped COVID panel under GOP majority
New members include controversial figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a prominent conspiracy theorist who has accused the vaccines of causing an “extremely high amount” of deaths, and Ronny Jackson of Texas, the former White House physician who came under fire for allegedly overprescribing medications and drinking on the job, which he has denied.
Jackson is a vocal proponent of the theory that the lab originated in a Wuhan lab. He, like Greene, has also targeted former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci for the alleged gain-of-function research, claiming that the “blood of millions of Americans” is on his hands.
The subcommittee’s work will intersect with other committees like Energy and Commerce and the new select committee on China. China Committee Chair Mike Gallagher, R-Fla., who also favors the “lab leak” theory over the natural evolution theory, said he would build off of Wenstrup’s work. Gallagher also plans to focus on where China hid or delayed information that impeded the U.S. response.
“Then with that enhanced understanding of what happened, tease out the broader implications for the future of biosecurity and biowarfare,” he said. “And there’s where I think we can play a unique role.”
Democrats have raised concerns about the potential for the coronavirus panel to veer into conspiracy theory territory, which will certainly be renewed given the panel’s new membership.
